Hey TBM, there is a ton of info out there, try googleing vermiculture or vermicomposting. There are fancy pre-made setups you can spend a fortune on, or there are a variety of DIY instructions as well. Here is a facebook group on the topic if you happen to be on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wormfarm/My set up is pretty simple. I used a 5 gallon or so
opaque plastic storage tub and drilled 1/2 inch holes in the bottom and sides for ventilation. I glued window screen over the holes to prevent loss, but this step isn't necessary. The tub is set on a pair of blocks (some scrap wood I had) inside of a
concrete mixing tub. The blocks elevate the tub to facilitate drainage and discourage escape. The mixing tub is to collect any fluids that may drip out (rarely happens to my tub).
Inside the tub it is necessary to create a bedding material for the worms. There are a number of materials that can be used but the easiest is to use newsprint ripped into ~1 inch wide strips. The bedding needs to be moistened to the consistency of a wrung out sponge (not dripping wet). Fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen can be added to the bedding as food for the worms. Additional bedding will have to be added on occasion as it will be eaten along with whatever is fed to the worms.
When you want to harvest you can dump the whole thing out on a tarp in a sunny spot. Pick out anything that isn't composted and return to the tub with fresh bedding. Everything else should be mounded up into a pile on the tarp. The worms will make their way to the center/bottom of the pile and you can scrape away the outer layers of the pile after the worms have retreated. Eventually you will end up with a small pile of worms and a small amount of compost which can all be added back to the tub. The compost that was removed from the outside of the pile should be free (or mostly free) of worms and can be added to soil mixes or brewed into a "compost tea" to be fed to plants.
Some methods and most of the fancy pre-made units utilize a stacking system where as food and bedding are used up a new tray or tub (with fresh bedding and food) is stacked on top of the finished one and the worms are left to migrate to the new material on their own, and eventually the lower level is removed to utilize the worm-free compost.
Hopefully that gives you a sufficient idea of how the process works, but like I said above some looking around on line would probably be beneficial.
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Topic: Earthworms in indoor gardens? (Read 12893 times)